Associate Consultant - Scientific Data & AI

ZS is a place where passion changes lives. As a management consulting and technology firm focused on improving life and how we live it, we transform ideas into impact by bringing together data, science, technology and human ingenuity to deliver better outcomes for all. Here you’ll work side-by-side with a powerful collective of thinkers and experts shaping life-changing solutions for patients, caregivers and consumers, worldwide. ZSers drive impact by bringing a client-first mentality to each and every engagement. We partner collaboratively with our clients to develop custom solutions and technology products that create value and deliver company results across critical areas of their business. Bring your curiosity for learning, bold ideas, courage and passion to drive life-changing impact to ZS.

Role Summary

We are seeking a technically strong, quantitatively trained professional who can bridge science, data, and technology within pharmaceutical R&D. This role will focus on building production-grade data and GenAI applications for scientists, supporting use cases such as drug repurposing, target identification, and gene prioritization. The ideal candidate combines strong Python and data engineering skills with fluency in biology and can both contribute hands-on to technical development and guide teams of developers in translating scientific requirements into scalable solutions.

ZS’s Discovery Venture partners with clients to develop and deploy in silico approaches that accelerate the discovery of safer, more effective therapeutics. We work closely with other ZS practices, bringing hands-on scientific expertise to enhance both technology and strategy initiatives. As a Venture within ZS, we continuously develop, test, and refine new approaches to maximize impact for our clients and the patients they serve. This unique position enables us to combine agility and innovation with the resources and knowledge of ZS’s 13,000+ global team. ZS is expanding the Discovery Venture and seeking driven, curious, and creative experts to help shape the practice area, collaborate across ZS’s R&D teams, and deliver excellent outcomes for clients.  

What you’ll do:

• Design, build, and deploy POCs and production-grade analytical and GenAI applications that support scientific decision-making in pharmaceutical research and development.
• Develop solutions that help scientists address use cases such as drug repurposing, target identification, gene prioritization, and other research-focused applications.
• Support the design and development of data foundations for pharmaceutical organizations, including databases, data warehouses, and data engineering solutions.
• Write high-quality Python / SQL code and contribute directly to the development of scalable applications, data pipelines, and analytical solutions.
• Supervise and provide technical guidance to developers, helping ensure solutions are robust, maintainable, and production ready.
• Apply quantitative methods, statistical thinking, and computational approaches to complex scientific and biological problems.
• Work closely with scientists, data engineers, developers, and other stakeholders to translate scientific requirements into technical solutions.
• Communicate fluently with scientific stakeholders and translate biological concepts and research needs into clear technical requirements.
• Contribute to the evaluation of emerging technologies, GenAI capabilities, and data approaches that can improve scientific workflows and decision-making.

What you’ll bring:

• A PhD or Master’s degree in a quantitative or scientific discipline such as applied mathematics, physics, computer science, biophysics, computational biology, bioinformatics, engineering, or a related field.
• Sufficient fluency in biology and life sciences to engage credibly with scientists and understand scientific requirements, particularly within pharmaceutical research and development.
• Strong quantitative and analytical training with the ability to apply structured problem-solving to complex scientific and technical challenges.
• Strong Python programming skills and experience building solutions that operate in production environments.
• At least 2.5 years of experience developing production-grade applications, analytical tools, data products, or data engineering solutions.
• Experience reviewing, supervising, or providing technical direction to developers or coding teams.
• Experience working with GenAI or machine learning applications, ideally within scientific or pharmaceutical use cases.
• Familiarity with data engineering concepts, including databases, data warehouses, data pipelines, and data architecture.
• Ability to translate scientific and business requirements into scalable technical solutions.
• Strong communication and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to work across scientific, technical, and business teams.
• Fluency in English
• Client-first mentality
• Intense work ethic
• Collaborative spirit and problem-solving approach

   Additional Skills:

• Experience in pharmaceutical, biotech, or life sciences environments.
• Experience developing applications that support scientists or R&D teams.
• Exposure to drug discovery use cases such as drug repurposing, target identification, or gene prioritization.
• Experience with cloud platforms, modern data environments, or enterprise data infrastructure.
• A background in data engineering (PySpark, data quality ) and experience with one of the modern data & AI platforms (e.g., Databricks, Snowflake) is highly relevant for this role.

How you’ll grow:

• Cross-functional skills development & custom learning pathways
• Milestone training programs aligned to career progression opportunities
• Internal mobility paths that empower growth via s-curves, individual contribution and role expansions

Perks & Benefits:

At ZS, your growth matters. We offer a comprehensive total rewards package that supports your health and well‑being, financial future, time away, and professional development. With robust skills‑building programs, multiple career progression paths, internal mobility, and a deeply collaborative culture, you’ll have the opportunity to do meaningful work, expand your capabilities, and thrive as part of a global community. For details on total rewards in United States, visit ZS US office locations | Where we work | ZS.               

Hybrid working model:

We are committed to giving our employees a flexible and connected way of working.  A flexible and connected ZS allows us to combine work from home and on-site presence at clients/ZS offices for the majority of our week. The magic of ZS culture and innovation thrives in both planned and spontaneous face-to-face connections.

Travel:

Travel is a requirement at ZS for client facing ZSers; business needs of your project and client are the priority. While some projects may be local, all client-facing ZSers should be prepared to travel as needed.  Travel provides opportunities to strengthen client relationships, gain diverse experiences, and enhance professional growth by working in different environments and cultures.

Considering applying?

At ZS, we honor the visible and invisible elements of our identities, personal experiences, and belief systems—the ones that comprise us as individuals, shape who we are, and make us unique. We believe your personal interests, identities, and desire to learn are integral to your success here. We are committed to building a team that reflects a broad variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences. Learn more about our inclusion and belonging efforts and the networks ZS supports to assist our ZSers in cultivating community spaces and obtaining the resources they need to thrive.

If you’re eager to grow, contribute, and bring your unique self to our work, we encourage you to apply.

ZS is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to providing equal employment and advancement opportunities without regard to any class protected by applicable law.

Work Authorization:

This position is not eligible for visa sponsorship. Candidates must have authorization to work in the United States that does not now or in the future require employer sponsorship.

To complete your application:
An on-line application, including a full set of transcripts (official or unofficial), is required to be considered.

NO AGENCY CALLS, PLEASE.

Find Out More At:
www.zs.com